Bohol (Day Trip)

We are at the airport in Manila much too early, who would have thought that there are times when there is hardly any traffic here. It is just before 5:30 when we have gone through all the checks. Today we are going to Bohol with 'Philippine Airlines'. Actually, Debbie is freezing her butt off in the terminal, it's almost 30°C outside even at night, and they cool everything down inside to refrigerator level. (Note to self, bring a jacket next time) Boarding is at 8:30, but unfortunately we have to wait an hour on the tarmac, for whatever reason.

Inside the plane, the temperature is relatively pleasant, so the wait is bearable (plus they distribute water). Finally, we take off, and then everything goes very quickly. We get a snack and coffee or water (and that on a 1-hour flight). The service from Philippine Airlines is really top-notch and suddenly we are practically on final approach.

At around 11 am, we land at a mini airport in Bohol. Only one plane can land or take off there, and the baggage carousel is tiny too. Everything is somehow sporadic, but you never feel unsafe or unwelcome. Our driver is already waiting for us and takes us to our hotel "Flushing Meadows" where we are greeted with a welcome drink (fruit juice freshly squeezed).

We can't check into our room until 2 o'clock, so we take a look around the resort. When we arrive at the pool, we are overwhelmed, as it offers a direct view of the sea. Even from the restaurant, you can enjoy your meal with a mega view.

We decide to make use of the pool as soon as we have put away our belongings in the room. Done and because exercise is known to make you hungry, we have something to eat before going to sleep.

After a short nap, we continue the next day at 8:30. We have a day tour of part of Bohol on the agenda. So today we get to be real tourists. We start directly with a highlight, because we stop at the "Tarsiers", one of the smallest monkey species native to the Philippines. Marc is completely in his element because he loves monkeys. Small bodies (no bigger than a hand), huge eyes, somehow creepy and cute at the same time. Most of them are sleeping, but we are lucky and find 2-3 that are awake and give their best in front of the camera.

Then we continue to the Chocolate Hills, which are covered with grass and turn brown in the dry season. That's why the locals have named them Chocolate Hills because the brown of the dried grass makes them look like chocolate.

From the top, you have an impressive view of the nearly 1,200 symmetrical hills. The viewpoint is reached via stairs, on the way back Debbie sits on her bum. She slipped, but nothing happened, so we continue.

A bit further on the island, we have the opportunity to "fly" with a zipline over a river, and of course we don't pass that up. You hang in the "Superman" position in a device and on a steel cable. The return trip is then done by cable car. It was a lot of fun, and Cedee was really brave to do it (considering his fear of heights). From above, you could see the river with its beautiful turquoise water and small waterfalls. It was definitely worth the thrill, and we would do it again and again. This is how flying must feel, and for us, it's one of the highlights here in Bohol.

After the action, we go to a "floating restaurant" where we enjoy our meal and the boat ride on the 'Loboc River', which we were able to see from above earlier.

After refueling, we visit a butterfly garden and can pet a python.

Next, we visit a church. Debbie has to wrap herself in cloths first because shoulders and legs have to be covered. These are located at the entrance of the building and there is a sign that says "for those who are sexy". The church is magnificent and the sun shines through the colorful stained glass windows, creating a beautiful atmosphere. A moment to enjoy the silence. A baby vomits in the middle of the aisle, Debbie has to hold back her laughter. It's getting too warm in the old buildings, so we also visit the small museum above the church.

Somehow we briefly lose sight of Marc and he's gone. We ask the old lady from the souvenir shop, who tells us that the American guy has already gone down. Cedee and Debbie have a good laugh because Marc is mistaken for an American everywhere here.

So we follow our "American Boy" and make our way back to the hotel. It's almost 5 pm now, and we have had many beautiful impressions in such a short time. Today, we're heading to the sea. We are the only ones going swimming, which might be because the rest of the hotel guests are mostly Chinese, who prefer to stay in the pool or can't swim at all. The sky changes its color to a gentle red, and it slowly gets dark as we march back to the pool from the sea.

After a final dinner and breakfast, it's time to say goodbye to Bohol. We certainly haven't seen everything, but what we have seen of the island was wonderful, and who knows, maybe we will come back someday.

After checking out, a driver takes us to the port, as we continue to Cebu.

Although the seats are a bit close together, it's enough to type the blog during the crossing. After about 2 hours, we should arrive at the port in Cebu. Ahoi.

Paalam